Portable article carrier



Sept 26, 1944. P. FLoRlN PORTABLE ARTICLE CARRIER Filed May 20, 1942 l INVENToR.

PH/L/P FLOR/N 4 r Tom/'5y 'w um.:

Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATESL'PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE ARTICLE CARRIER Philip Florin, Woodmere, NQY. Application May 20, 1942, Serial No. 443,781

Claims. (Cl. 150-42) This invention relates to portable article carriers such as toilet cases and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a portable article carrier of the character described which will always present a neat uncreased appearance when opened or closed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable article carrier of the character described wherein at least one of the carriers walls on which articles are supported has no surrounding ledge, so thatlextremely easy access may be had to articles held thereon. v

A further object of m-y invention is to provide a portable article carrier of the character described wherein a novel construction is employed to releasably close the carrier.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a portable article carrier of the character described made from relatively few and simple parts which are readily obtainable under present conditions and which carrier shall be economical to manufacture, rugged in construction and ellicient in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exempliiied in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is Ashown one form of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a rear View of a fully opened toilet case embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View thereof when closed;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational vView of the closed case;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 4--4 in Fig. 3 and shows the construction o-f the means employed to releasably close the case;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 4; l

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 6 6 in Fig. 2 and shows the reinforcingmeans employed to prevent the side walls of the case from buckling and creasing; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an element which is used in both the reinforcing means and the releasable closing means.

Referring now to the drawing, I0 denotes a toilet case embodying my invention and comprising a bottom wall I2, back wall I4 and top wall i6. Each of said walls comprises a resilient, ilexible, reinforcing sheet I3 made of material such as cardboard and covered on the side facing the interior of the case with a layer of suitable decorative material 20, such as for example Fabricoid. The outer surface of the cardboard sheet is covered with a layer of material 22, which hasl suitable wearing characteristics and may comprise, for example, leather. If desired, a layer of padding 23 may be interposed between the leather 22and cardboard I8, to render the case soft to the touch.

A leather binding strip 24 stitched around the periphery of the bottom, back and top walls I2, I4 and I6 serves to hold the four layers of material comprising these walls together. The inner and outer layers 20 and 22 of Fabricoid and leather are continuous. However, the cardboard reinforcing layer VI3 in each of these walls is separate, thereby permitting both the bottom and top walls VI2 and I6 to be pivotally moved relative to opposite parallel edges of the back wall I4.

As is customary in this field, a plurality of leather or pseudo-leather straps 24 are suitably secured, asby stitching, to the inner Fabricoid layer, to provide holders for a plurality of articles designed to be carried in the toilet case.

The bottom wall I2 has a vertically disposed rim R extending around its entire periphery, except where said wall is hingedly connected to the back wall I4..v rSaid rim lies adjacent an edge of the binding strip 24. The rim R, which provides two side walls 26 and 28 and a front wall 30 for the toilet case, includes a continuous reinforcing strip 32 of resilient, flexible material, such as cardboard, ywhich extends around all of the walls 2S, 28 and3. Said strip is covered on its inner and outer faces with suitable materials, such, for example, as those employed on the similar faces of the cardboard sheets used in the bottom, back and top Walls. t

A row of stitching 34 serves to bind together the upper edges of the several layers comprising the side and front Walls. Said walls are permanently secured to the bottom wall I2 by a ilap top wall I6, the bottom and top walls will be disposed in substantially parallel relationship.

In accordance with my invention, I provide means for preventing buckling or collapse of the side walls 26 and 28 where they are not reinforced by the connecting bends 21 and 29. Such means comprises inflexible, elongated tubular reinforcing members 38, which are inherently rigid due to their structural shape and are fabricated from a rigid material such as brass. Said reinforcing members are provided with slots 40 which run for the entire length thereof, and are so dimensioned as to permit the members 38 to be clamped on the ends 4| of the side walls 26 and 2B which are disposed adjacent the back wall I 4. The members 38 may either be prefabricated and subsequently slipped on the said ends 4l, or they may be formed in position around these ends. In either event, after the members 38 have been properly placed, they will prevent the free ends 4| from buckling or creasing if inadvertently hit while the case is` being packed or when the case is lying in open position, as shown in Fig. 1. Said free ends are dirsposed perpendicular to the plane of the wall l2 to assist in maintaining the back wall I4 in proper position when the case is closed.

It may be mentioned that since no part of the side walls 26 and 23 is operatively connected to holding the case closed. Said means comprises a flexible tab 42 having one edge thereof attached tothe top wall I6 adjacent the periphery thereof. To avoid additional securing means, this edge of the tab may be disposed between the binding strip 24 and the Fabricoid layer 20 (Fig. 5) and held by the row of stitching which secures said bending strip. To increase flexibility, a large aperture 44 may be formed in the tab adjacent the attached edge thereof.

Said tab 42 is provided with a female half 46 of asnap fastener. which is designed to cooperate with a male half 48 secured in registered'position to the front wall 3L'. The top edge of the front wall 3l) over the male half 48 of the snap fastener is covered by acamming member 5U which is of the same size and configuration as the reinforcing member 38. For appearance, and to obtain uniform distribution of stress, the tab 42 and snap fastener may be so located that when the case is closed they are disposed in the center of said front wall 30. Y

It will be noted that. since the tab 42 extends from beneath the binding tape 24, it would normally lie inside the toilet case Il). prior to closing the case. the tab is manipulated to dispose it exteriorly of the case over the front wall 36. This causes the tab to assume a curved However,

shane (Fig. 5) with a point of inflection close member between the bent tab and the top wall of the toilet case. This coaction between the front wall 30, camming member 50, tab 42 and top wall I6 tends to brace and rigidify the entire case when closed and particularly will keep the rim Rin proper position.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several yobjects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. p

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A portable article carrier such as a toilet case or the like comprising aback wall having a pair of walls hingedly connected thereto along oppositely disposed parallel edges thereof, one of said pair of walls having a resilient, flexible rim extending around its entire periphery except at Athe hinged yconnection whereby said rim is not operatively connected to saidV back wall and serves as the side and front walls of said toilet case when said case `is closed, said rim being substantially of the same height as said backV wall and being adapted to abut the other of said pair of walls when said case is closed, a portion of the free edge of said rim being thickened, a flexible tab extending from said other Wall, said tab having a reversely curved portion adjacent its base lying in the path of travel of said thickened portion during closing of vsaid carrier and serving in cooperation therewith to lightly hold said rim in closed position, and means to detachably attach the rear surface of said'tab to the outer surface of said rim.

2. A portable article carrier such as a toilet .case or the like comprising a back wall having a pair of walls hingedly connected thereto along oppositely disposed parallel edges thereof, one of said pair of walls having a resilient, flexible rim extending around its entire periphery except at the hinged connection whereby said rim is not operatively connected to said back wall' and serves as the side and frontv walls ofV said toilet :case when said case is closed, said rim being substantially of the same height as said back wall and being adapted to abut the other of said Ipair of walls when said case is closed, a' portion of the free edge of said rim being thickened, a flexible tab extending from said other wall, said tab having a reversely .curved portion adjacent its base lying in the path of travel of said thickened portion during closing of said carrier and serving in cooperation therewith to lightly hold said rim in closed position, and means to detachably attach the rear surface of said ,tab to the outer surface of said rim, said last named means comprising a snap fastener having one half 'secured' to said tab and the other half to said rim.

3. A portable article carrier such as a toilet case or the like comprising a back wall having a pairrof walls hingedly connected thereto along` oppositely disposed parallel walls thereof, one of said pair of walls having a resilient, flexible rim extending around its entire periphery except` at the hinged connection whereby said rim is not operatively connected tol said back wall and serves as the side and front walls of said toilet fcase when said case is closed, said rim being substantially of the same height as 'said back wall and being adapted to abut the other of said pair of Walls when said case is closed, a flexible tab extending from said other Wall, a camming member secured to that portion of the edge of said rim in registration with said tab, said tab having a reversely curved portion adjacent its base which lies. in the path of travel of said camming member during closing of said carrier and serves in cooperation therewith to lightly hold said rim in closed position,"and means to detachably attach the rear surface of said tab to the outer surface of said rim.

4. A portable article carrier such als a toilet case or the like Icomprising a back Wall having a pair of walls hingedly connected thereto along oppositely disposed parallel walls thereof, one of said pair f Walls having a resilient, flexib-le rim extending around its entire periphery except at the hinged connection whereby said rim is not operatively connected to said back wall and serves as the side and front Walls of said toilet case When said case is closed, said rim being substantially of the same height as said back Wall and being adapted to abut the other of said pair of walls when said case is closed, a flexible tab extending from said other Wall, a camming member secured to that portion of the edge of said rim in registration With said tab, said member comprising an elongated, slitted, rigid member clamped to said edge, said tab having a reT versely curved portion adjacent its base Which lies in the path of travel of said camming member during closing of said carrier and serves in, cooperation therewith to lightly hold said rim in yclosed position, and means to detachably attach the rear surface of said tab t0 the outer surface of said rim.

5. A portable article carrier such as a toilet case or the like comprising a back Wall having a pair of Walls of identical size hingedly connected thereto along oppositely disposed parallel edges of said back Wall, a binding tape straddling the free edges of said pair of walls, one of said pair of walls having a resilient, flexible rim extending around its periphery adjacent the inner edge of said binding tape, to form a front and side` walls for lsaid toilet case, said rim being substantially of the same height as said back Wall, the ends of said rim adjacent said back Wall extending perpendicularly away from the first of said pair of Walls and terminating in edges perpendicular to the plane of said first Wall, said end edges having elongated, slitted, tubular, metallic, reinforcing members clamped thereon, the center of the top edge of said front wall having an elongated, slitted, tubular, metallic camming member clamped thereon, one half of a snap fastener centrally attached to said front Wall for operation on the front face only thereof, a flexible tab, one end of said tab being secured to the other of said pair of walls between said binding tape and said Wall Whereby said tab Will have a reversely curved portion adjacent its base which lies in the path of travel of said 'camming member during closing of said carrier and serves in cooperation therewith to lightly hold said rim in closedposition, said tab being disposed centrally of said other Wall and having an aperture therein to increase the flexibility thereof, -the other half of said snap fastener being secured to said tab in registration with the first named half, said other half being so constructed and arranged as to be operable for attachment only at the rear face of said tab.

PHILIP FLORIN. 

